[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22175-22176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11040]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
North Bay Water Recycling Program (formerly North San Pablo Bay
Restoration and Reuse Project), California
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and notice of public
hearings.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), as the National
Environmental Policy Act Federal lead agency, and the Sonoma County
Water Agency, acting as administrator for the North Bay Water Reuse
Authority (NBWRA) and the California Environmental Quality Act State
lead agency, have made available for public review and comment the
North Bay Water Recycling Program Draft EIS/EIR. The purpose of the
project is to create a regional wastewater reuse project to provide
recycled water for agricultural, urban, and environmental uses as an
alternative to discharging treated wastewater to San Pablo Bay. In this
way, water demand issues and wastewater discharge issues of the region
can be addressed in an integrated and synergistic manner. Three public
hearings will be held to receive comments from individuals and
organizations on the Draft EIS/EIR.
DATES: Three public hearings have been scheduled to receive oral or
written comments regarding environmental effects:
June 9, 2009, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Novato, CA.
June 10, 2009, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Sonoma, CA.
June 11, 2009, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Napa, CA.
A 1-hour open house to view project information and interact with
the project team will precede the public hearings.
The Draft EIS/EIR will be available for a 60-day public review
period. Comments are due by July 13, 2009.
ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held at the following locations:
Novato at Margaret Todd Senior Center, 1560 Hill Road.
Sonoma at Sonoma Community Center, 276 East Napa Street.
Napa at Napa Elks Lodge, 2840 Soscol Avenue.
Written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR should be sent to Mr. Marc
Bautista, Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Boulevard, Santa
Rosa, CA
[[Page 22176]]
95403; or e-mailed to [email protected].
Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR may be requested from Mr. Marc
Bautista, by writing to the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA), P.O. Box
11628, Santa Rosa, CA 95406; by calling 707-547-1998; or by e-mailing
[email protected].
The Draft EIS/EIR is also accessible from the following Web site:
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=2157.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Marc Bautista, 707-547-1998;
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS/EIR documents the direct,
indirect, and cumulative effects to the physical, biological, and
socioeconomic environment that may result from North Bay Recycled Water
Program.
The NBWRA, comprised of four wastewater utilities and one water
agency in the North San Pablo Bay region of California, plans to expand
the use of recycled water and reduce discharge into San Pablo Bay with
this long-term inter-agency project. The area encompasses 318 square
miles of land in Marin, Sonoma, and Napa Counties. Participants include
Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD), Novato Sanitary District
(Novato SD), Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (SVCSD), and Napa
Sanitation District (Napa SD). In addition, North Marin Water District
and the County of Napa are participating financially and providing
support. Sonoma County Water Agency is acting as project administrator,
and will be the CEQA Lead Agency. Reclamation is the Federal lead
agency for NEPA because the Proposed Action may be partially federally
funded under Title XVI of Public Law 102-575, as amended, which
provides a mechanism for Federal participation and cost sharing in
approved water reuse projects.
The North San Pablo Bay regions of Sonoma, Marin and Napa Counties
are facing long-term water supply shortfalls. Surface and groundwater
supplies within these areas are limited, and some local groundwater
basins are overpumped, with detrimental effects on water levels and
water quality. Recycled water can augment local water supplies on a
regional basis, provide water that meets agricultural and municipal
nonpotable quality needs, and provide increased reliability.
Additionally, reliable water supply is needed in order to continue
the restoration of tidal wetlands in San Pablo Bay that contain habitat
for endangered and threatened species. Wastewater treatment agencies
also face strict regulatory limits on the timing and quality of the
treated wastewater they can discharge to San Pablo Bay, as well as the
rivers and streams that flow to it. By treating wastewater to the
stricter regulatory levels required for reuse, the agencies can recycle
the water productively to address water supply needs and reduce the
amount released to San Pablo Bay and its tributaries.
The project would provide recycled water for agricultural, urban,
and environmental uses thereby reducing reliance on local and imported
surface water and groundwater supplies and reducing the amount of
treated effluent releases to San Pablo Bay and its tributaries. Some of
the project benefits include reduction of wastewater discharge to
regional waterways and the resulting environmental benefit to fish and
wildlife.
NBWRA has developed a regional program for expanding cooperative
water reuse within the North San Pablo Bay region. The Proposed Action
consists of distribution facilities, treatment capacity improvements,
and storage to make between 17,000 and 25,000 acre-feet per year of
recycled water available for environmental, agricultural, and municipal
reuse, consistent with the California Code of Regulations, Title 22,
pertaining to the use of tertiary-treated recycled water. At this time,
there are no known or possible Indian trust assets or environmental
justice issues associated with the Proposed Action.
Special Assistance for Public Meetings
If special assistance is required to participate in the public
meetings, please contact David White at 916-978- 5074, TDD 916-978-
5608, or via e-mail at [email protected]. Please notify Mr. White as
far in advance as possible to enable Reclamation to secure the needed
services. If a request cannot be honored, the requestor will be
notified. A telephone device for the hearing impaired (TDD) is
available at 916-978-5608.
Public Disclosure
Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address,
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: April 1, 2009.
Richard M. Johnson,
Acting Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. E9-11040 Filed 5-11-09; 8:45 am]
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